METRO ADOPTS CONSTRUCTION CAREER POLICY CREATING MIDDLE-INCOME JOBS

LA Metro’s board on Thursday approved a Construction Careers policy that includes a project labor agreement (PLA) and local hire requirement for all transit and highway projects with a budget greater than $2.5 million. The policy will target communities hardest hit by the recession and most in need of good, new jobs, and will require that at least 40 percent of the jobs created go to workers from areas with high unemployment and that at least 10 percent go to disadvantaged workers, including single parents, individuals without a high school diploma, or those who have been on public assistance.

The policy, which was promoted by LAANE, the LA County Federation of Labor, the Building Trades, faith-based leaders and other community organizations —including Move LA — is an effort to link the Measure R and other public investments in transportation to the creation of good jobs for local residents. These construction jobs are particularly important because not only do they provide a middle-income wage but there are also apprenticeship programs that provide young workers with formal training and a career path that offers family-supporting wages, health care and pension benefits. Moreover, workers who are employed on Metro projects will spend their earnings at local businesses, creating additional jobs and local tax revenues.

“Taxpayers approved Measure R to generate significant new transit investment,” says Denny Zane, Move LA’s executive director. “At the same time we want the construction jobs created to be good, middle-class jobs. By setting job standards and creating career paths, Metro is guaranteeing that public funds will not be used to create low-wage jobs with meager benefits — thereby putting a strain on taxpayers.”

THE BAND CALLED IT'S CASUAL TESTIFIES ABOUT THE RED LINE

A friend of the Move LA "family" explains why we love transit.

DENNY ZANE QUOTED ON MEASURE R EXTENSION IN LA TIMES, STREETSBLOG

Move LA Executive Director Denny Zane was quoted in the LA Times Friday and on Streetsblog the day before, following news that Assembly Member Mike Feuer had introduced legislation allowing voters to approve an extension of the Measure R sales tax. While Congress is considering the America Fast Forward proposal to provide low-interest loans that would allow LA Metro to build more of the 12 Measure R-funded transit lines more quickly, an extension of the sales tax would make a rapid expansion of transit much more certain.

The LA Times article is here and Streetsblog is here.

LEGISLATION INTRODUCED TO BUILD MORE LA TRANSIT PROJECTS MORE QUICKLY

Assembly Member Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) has introduced legislation allowing voters to extend the Measure R sales tax for an as-yet-unspecified length of time, enabling LA Metro to bond against a longer revenue stream and raise the money to build more projects more quickly — without having to rely only on federal or state financing.

Feuer had authored the legislation that placed Measure R — the half-cent sales tax that is providing funding for 12 new rail lines over 30 years — on the ballot in 2008. In his press release today he noted that extending Measure R would jumpstart construction on the Measure R projects, putting thousands of Angelenos back to work.

"Accelerating Measure R projects will be transformational for the LA economy," says Move LA Executive Director Denny Zane, "and a sales tax extension is very likely to win voter support. San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties all passed their transportation sales tax extensions by large margins in recent years.

“This is a real opportunity with very little downside, and a really good companion piece to America Fast Forward — the federal 30-10 plan. If you like what Measure R is doing for Los Angeles you will love ‘Measure R-plus’ because it will mean more jobs and fiscal benefits, better air quality and less traffic congestion — sooner. What’s not to like?”